Boy, 7, who attended Eastport Elementary killed in accident

Tristan Gabriel Mericle was killed when the Baja 49cc motorsport dirt bike he was riding was hit by a tractor-trailer Tuesday in South Carolina.

By Staff and wire reports

Times Reporter

By Staff and wire reports

Posted Jan. 2, 2014 at 11:14 PM

By Staff and wire reports

Posted Jan. 2, 2014 at 11:14 PM

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C.

Brett Donohoe remembers his nephew Tristan Gabriel Mericle as a person who had an enormous heart full of love. Mericle, 7, of 5116 Great Falls Highway, Great Falls, was killed when the Baja 49cc motorsport dirt bike he was riding was hit by a tractor-trailer around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Donohoe said that his nephew lived for a year in Gnadenhutten and attended Eastport Elementary before moving back to South Carolina for this school year.

Mericle was part of the novice wrestling program last year, and placed third in his age bracket.

Mericle had received the dirt bike as a Christmas present. He had just celebrated his seventh birthday nine days before the fatal accident.

According to Lance Cpl. Billy Elder of the S.C. Highway Patrol, Matthew Wade Wilkens, 26, of Lancaster, S.C., was driving a tractor-trailer and traveling eastbound on S.C. Highway 97. Elder said Mericle was driving the dirt bike northbound on private property when the accident happened.

Tristan was the son of Shawn Wayne Derric Mericle of Great Falls and Amy Mericle of Fort Lawn, S.C. Shawn had a stepfather, Brandon Lefler, and stepmother, Eryn.

Anyone would like to help the family may visit www.gofundme.com/604s84 and donate to Tristan's memorial.